Robert Di Pietro's 1931 Model A

On a late summer afternoon in 1958, 13-year-old Robert Di Pietros life was changed forever. It was on that day that Robert got his hands on the September 58 issue of R&Cand right there on the cover was Gil Granuccis 31 Model A coupe. Robert had found his dream car, and the course was set.

By the time he reached the age of 15, Robert had already procured a 31 five-window of his own for $75. Not content to create a basic highboy coupe, Di Pietro immediately set about channeling the A to mimic Granuccisno small task for a teen without experience or proper tools and living in Quebec. The floor was cut out with a Vise-Grip used like a can opener; according to Robert, The jagged cuts are still there. A floor was made from plywood (also still there) and the coupe was on its way. The adolescents resourcefulness was amazing; after scoring a Deuce frame for $15, he pulled the coupe off of the A frame, replaced the body with a roadster pickup shell hed acquired, and traded the functioning Model A for a set of used acetylene torches.

A 47 Ford was purchased for another $15 to donate its mechanical bits. In those days, you could buy late-40s Fords for next to nothing, and then you had all your mechanicals: engine, trans, * rearend, spindles, and brakes, says Robert. He put the 47 gears in a 39 case, but before the flathead ran, it was replaced by a Chevy 283, which was mated to the Ford trans with an adapter from Honest Charley.

Later, a hotter 327 would be installed, and after going through numerous gearboxes and rears, Robert upgraded to a Corvette T10 four-speed and 57 Chevy rearend. By 1966, the 327 had high-compression pistons, a big solid cam, an aluminum flywheel, and 1,500-cfm worth of dual-quads in an effort to stay ahead of the musclecars. Then, in 1972, the coupe was parked to raise a family. It resurfaced in 1985 with a street-rod revamp, seeing 70,000 miles of travel. In 2000, Robert decided to return it to its roots; it once again became a late-50s/early 60s Northern California hot rod.

So did the image of Granuccis coupe truly alter Roberts destiny? It should come as no surprise that he opted to pursue an education in engineering, and today hes president of an engineering firm in his native Quebec. Thankfully, he never let go of his inspiration.